Today's focus is all about what to pack in your car's trunk for emergency situations over the winter.
Typical items people usually store in their vehicles can include a bag of cat litter or sand in case the vehicle gets stuck on ice and can't move without a little extra traction, a few energy bars (maybe) and possibly some water, an extra jacket and maybe a flashlight. While these things are good to have, you need to think beyond the basics for winter preparedness. We all need water, food and shelter to survive. We
know that. It has been drilled into our brains since we were small children. The following is a guideline of items to keep with you in your vehicle at all times. WATER: Keep more than just an extra bottle of water in your trunk. Buy a gallon of water (or 2!) from the grocery store instead of filling an empty milk jug for the sole purpose of preventing a spill in the trunk. If you're not a fan of buying water, feel free to fill old milk jugs, just be sure to thoroughly wash and rinse them out because you don't want to make yourself sick. When re-capping the lid, put a folded piece of paper towel over the lid followed by some plastic wrap with a rubber band twisted tightly over it to prevent leakage in case the jug tips over. FOOD: Being the child of a man that was in the military, I started keeping a small box of MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) in my trunk since I started driving. If you don't have access to MREs, pack
non perishable ready-to-eat food that are high in calories. Make sure to have enough for all the people riding with you for a couple days. Think about how many calories each person needs per day and multiply that by 2. Check the expiration or best by dates on everything consumable every couple months, because you don't want to have rotten or spoiled or stale food that you can't eat taking up valuable space. Replace items as needed. Also keep a pocket knife in the kit as well if you need to open packages of food. If you typically run around with more people than just your self, be sure to pack enough water, food, blankets or jackets for everyone. But when packing your emergency kit for the winter, be sure to remember some of the smaller, less thought about things, such as a couple of large empty coffee containers and a roll of toilet paper. Why coffee containers? Because it might just be TOO cold to step out of your broken down car and relieve yourself on the side of a desolate road without risking frost bite to sensitive areas! WARMTH: Head to your local thrift store and pick up a few jackets that are warm in sizes to fit everyone, a good idea would be to buy them a size or two larger than your travel buddies wear now, because you might put on a few pounds over the winter or you need the extra room if you are already wearing layers, and... kids grow! Also keep a FULL change of clothes in case yours get wet. You want to avoid hypothermia by changing wet clothes
immediately. I like to keep a sleeping bag that unzips all the way to use as a blanket that will cover more than just one person. Also pick up a package of those
Hot Hands too because those things are like heaven when your hands are freezing despite the gloves you are wearing after changing a blown tire in a blizzard! You can put them in your boots, in your back or front pockets, in your gloves, etc. LIGHT: keep a flash light and extra batteries (check shelf life of these too!)
if your flash light even takes batteries. You can get those hand crank flash lights that charge as you crank, but they don't last all that long on one round of cranking, or they even make self charging flash lights with cell phone chargers!
So we have our basic necessities covered, food, water, shelter (your vehicle), relieving yourself and warmth. Now we need to think about your vehicle. A collapsible shovel and bag of kitty litter (it can often be cheaper than sand) for getting un-stuck on ice or packed snow, Tow straps for getting pulled out of ditches, Jumper or Booster cables for a dead battery, I like my "jump box" it has booster cables with a switch to turn to complete the connection so you don't accidentally get electrocuted, a flash light, an air compressor, a wall and car charger, a tire pressure gauge and a battery meter. It's pretty much everything you could need. You should also keep a tire patch kit (they come with everything you need to fix a small hole in your tire for around $3), an extra quart of oil, extra pre-diluted anti-freeze, de-icing windshield wiper fluid, transmission fluid (if your vehicle is an automatic) and brake fluid. Pretty much keep extras of any type of fluid your vehicles needs to run properly. Keep tire chains that fit your tire size exactly! Don't think "close enough" when it comes to tire chains, if you buy the wrong size, it could cause a blow out! Don't forget about an extra ice scraper. The one you use daily could break or you could lose it.
Last but not least, buy a good complete first aid kit! One that includes trauma care, such as large bandages that can go around the torso and burn care. If a serious injury occurs, and help is too far away or can't be reached, you need to step up to the plate and do everything you can to help the injured person. Make sure to check around for free classes that teach you CPR, how to stop bleeding, how to care for a broken bone, etc. Because the key to survival is
preparedness!
Be safe and be prepared out there friends!
